We have probably all experienced a situation like the following…
You have had a busy and stressful month at work and tonight you finally get to unwind and relax…
You invite a few friends over to watch a movie, talk and have some drinks. You’re all set for a great evening.
While you’re laughing and enjoying yourself and you reach for your glass of wine, you accidentally bump into it but you’re not fast enough to catch it as it starts to fall from the table.
As the glass hits the floor, you all let out a stunned gasp…
Red wine spilled all over your white carpet!
What are you going to do?
Luckily for you, this guide is all about how to get red wine out of carpets so keep reading and you’ll be able to restore your carpet to its former glory with the minimum of fuss.
Steps For Cleaning Up Wine Stains
First things first, you need to clean the stain up as quickly as possible. The longer the wine sits on the carpet, the harder it will be to clean.
As soon as you realize there is a stain, grab a clean cloth and gently blot the stain to remove the excess liquid before the stain has a chance to set.
Blotting The Stain
To get red wine out of carpets and ensure you don’t make matters worse, you need to properly blot the stain.
When blotting the stain, do not rub it from side to side with the clean cloth or you might rub the stain further into the carpet which will render it impossible to clean.
Instead, use a gentle up-and-down blotting motion. Gently press the clean cloth into the stain for a few seconds and then lift it away. Turn the cloth to another clean area and press it into the stain for a few seconds and then lift it away. Continue doing this until you soak up all of the excess wine.
To avoid spreading the stain into a wider area, blot from the outer edges in to the center.
Once you feel like you have cleaned up all of the excess liquid, you will probably notice that the stain is nowhere near gone from your carpet. In order to get red wine stains out of carpets, you must keep following these steps.
You will need to get the stained spot a little wet again so that you can keep pulling the stain out of the fibers of the carpet. Try adding a small amount of cold water to the stained area and carry on blotting. This will water down the wine that is still trapped in the carpet helping to release more of it to your cloth.
Keep following these blotting steps until the carpet is dry again and until you feel like you have gotten as much wine out as you possibly can.
Solutions For Getting The Red Wine Stain Out Of The Carpet
For how to get red wine out of carpets, there are many remedies using household supplies that you can use to help get the rest of the wine out of the carpets.
Below you will find the steps to follow for a few of these remedies.
Depending on your type of carpet and how long the stain has been there, some of these methods won’t work. Try as many as you need to try to get red wine out of carpets.
Dish Soap And Peroxide
If your carpet is light colored or white, this solution is a worth trying. If you do not have light colored carpet, skip this step. Peroxide can slightly bleach your carpet and we doubt you want that in addition to the wine stain.
To try this remedy for how to get red wine out of carpets, mix just a little bit of dish soap with a little bit of peroxide. Exact measurements aren’t necessary but try to keep the ratio fairly even.
Get another clean rag and dip it into the soap and peroxide solution you have now made. Gently dab it on the stain and let the mixture seep into the carpet fibers for a minute or so. Once you have let it penetrate the fibers of the carpet for a few moments, start to gently blot it away. Remember to use an up-and-down motion, not a side-to-side one.
Dampen the carpet with a bit of cold water and blot the area again to get rid of any soapy residue.
Keep blotting to release the last of the stain. Allow the carpet to dry and it should be as good as new.
Baking Soda And Water
Another option for how to get red wine out of carpets is to use a mixture of water and baking soda.
Pour a little water onto the red wine stain. Make a watery paste using one part baking soda to three parts water and then liberally spread it over the stain.
Get a clean cloth and something heavy like a book. Fold up the cloth and place it over the red wine stain and then place the heavy object on top of it. Leave this to sit overnight while you sleep.
When you wake in the morning and the baking soda is dry, vacuum it out of the carpet. The baking soda should have grabbed all the moisture and formed little clumps that will be easy for you to mop away.
If there is still powder on your carpet after vacuuming, dampen it a little and the vacuum again.
Now your carpet should look like there never was a stain to begin with.
Related: Vacuum Cleaner for Carpets Review
White Vinegar Solution
The last homemade option for how to remove red wine from carpets is to use white vinegar solution.
Gather two clean cloths, some liquid dish soap, some water and some plain white vinegar. Don’t use other vinegars because they will leave their own stains in your carpet.
To create the solution, mix together 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of dish soap.
To use this for how to get red wine out of carpets, get one of the clean cloths and wet the cloth with the vinegar solution you made. Gently dab the solution onto the red wine stain. Let the vinegar solution soak into the fibers of the carpet so that it can clean away the red wine stain.
Once the vinegar solution sits for a moment and loosens the stain, use your second clean cloth to blot away the vinegar solution. Continue these steps until your stain seems to be disappearing.
Now use some cold water and pour a little over the whole stain. Press the water into the stained area with your dirty cloth and then use your clean cloth to soak up the water and any of the stain or vinegar solution that remains in the carpet fibers.
You might need to follow this procedure several times for getting the red wine out of your carpet.
Other Options
If the above do-it-yourself remedies for how to get red wine out of carpets do not work for you, don’t panic! You still have other options, but you are going to have to go to the store or get them online.
·One of our favorite stain remover sprays is Folex. Don’t let the simple white and purple bottle fool you, this product packs a major punch when it comes to cleaning up stains. It doesn’t have any scent and will get even the toughest stains out of carpet. Red wine certainly falls into that category!
·Another great store-bought option for how to get red wine out of carpets is Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover. This comes in a blue bottle and you can get it in a professional strength as well. It will work on a stain from 10 minutes ago or a 5-year-old stain you just discovered. You don’t have to scrub either, just spray, let it work and dab the stain away. Simple!
·The makers of OxiClean have also brought a great carpet cleaning spray to market. The OxiClean Carpet and Rug Stain Remover works wonderfully effectively. It penetrates deep into the carpet fibers and lists away the toughest, dirtiest stains. It doesn’t just mask them, it removes them permanently. It’s great for pet stain but works especially well for red wine stains. Buy some of this and you will have no worries!
·There are even stain removers that have been created specifically to get red wine out of carpets. Weiman Red Wine Stain Remover has many happy customers and it is not hard to see why. You can use it on new stains that are still wet or old stains that have been set for months. There are no toxic chemicals so you can feel safe using it around your family and pets. This one is almost a no-brainer for helping your problem!
Wrap-Up
Don’t panic if you get red wine on your carpets. There are plenty of solutions for fixing it up straight away available so there’s no need to worry.
Try one of the above options for how to get red wine out of carpets that utilizes ingredients you likely have in your cupboards and if none of them work you know there’s a wide variety of cleaners you can purchase.
Feel free to get in touch any time with your questions or feedback. We always love to hear from our readers.
And remember…
There is no use crying over spilled wine. Dab it up, pour yourself another glass and get back to enjoying your life!